Chart



Feb. 12 1924.

F. E. MIELKE CHART Filed Sept 3 1921 a 0% Karma/12 Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

FRANK E. MIELKE, OF SHAWANO, WISCONSIN.

CHART.

Application filed September 3, 1921. Serial No. 498,269.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. MIELKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shawano, in the county of Shawano and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Charts, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawl his invention relates to charts and more particularly to charts utilized in the study of the notes of the violin. With the usual system of note study for stringed instruments the notes are placed side by side in a staff and therefore do not bear the same relation to their position upon the key or fret board of the instrument making it extremely difficult for the novice to locate the position of the notes on the various strings.

It is, therefore, the object of this invention to avoid this difficulty and to provide a device in which the notes are indicated in the exact position in which they occur on the strings of the instrument.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character having shiftable note supporting members mounted in a position corresponding with the-notes on the strings of the instrument whereby they may be displayed to indicate the notes to be played or turned down where the notes are concealed so as to indicate to the student that the notes are not to be played, thus indicating clearly to the student the notes of any given scale or exercise to be practiced.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying irawings which form a partof this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective eight frets of the chart;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing certain of the note supporting leaves in raised position and others in lowered or inoperative position;

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the note supporting hinges on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the double hinges; and

Figure 5 is an elevational view showing the note face of a leaf or plate.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the limiting shoulder.

Referring more particularly to the drawview showing ing, 1 represents a suitable support which is constructed of any suitable material such as wood,metal or composition, and is approxi mately twenty inches lon by three and onehalf or four inches wi e so that all note positions of the violin may be properly indicated thereon. The board is divided up into vertical rows 2 indicating the four strings G, D, A and E, and into horizontal rows 3 indicating the fret positions on the neck.

Located in each vertical row and arranged at intervals to correspond with the fret positions on the strings of the instrument are note supporting members generally ind1 cated at 4 and which comprise separate leaves 5 and 6 hinged together, as indicated at 7 the former being secured by nails,

screws or any other suitable fastening devices to the boards.

The leaf 6 is provided with a central tongue 8 which is extended around the pivot point of the hinge, as shown, and on each side of this tongue are laterally extending shoulders 9 which limit the movement of the leaf 6 in one direction, i. e., when turned up to display the note contained thereon, as will be hereinafter described. When the leaves 6 are in raised position, they occupy the position with re lation to the board or slab 1, shown in Figure 2, which is about 45 from the vertical and they swing through an arc of approximately 135 from a horizontal position where all notes are visible to the students.

In such instances where two types of notes occupy the same position on the board, such for instance as F sharp and G flat, I provide a double hinge, indicated at 10, and consisting of leaves 11, 12 and 13, all of which are hinged upon a common pivot pin 14. In this instance the leaf 11 is attached to the board or slab and either the leaf 12 or 13 may be turned so as to expose the note to view or to inoperative position where they lie fiat upon the board, as shown in Figure 2. The leaves 11 and 13 are constructed in a similar manner to the leaves 5 and 6 but in this instance the pintle 14: is extended and the leaf 12 is provided with ears 15 which engage the pintle and straddle the leaves 11 and 13. In the use of the hinge 10, for instance when it is desired to use the note G flat, the leaf 12 is turned down flat upon the board or slab, while if it is desired to use the note F sharp, the leaf 12 is turned up so that it rests upon the leaf 13, the leaf 13 in turn resting the shoulders 9 thereof upon the plate 11.

Each plate 6 12 or l3 has secured thereto, or engraved or embossed thereon, a music staff of one measure, preferably containing a dotted half note which has the count of three and constitutes three-fourths time to the measure. The flats and sharps are indicated upon the staff and any other desired indications may be attached to the leaves so that the student may have before him the exact notes to be played and in their exact positions upon the key or fret boardof the instrument.

The advantages of this device will be selfevident to those versed in the art. The notes all being placed over the exact positions on the strings and the frets, it is a very simple matter for the student to play the same note on the instrument.

lVhile the'device is described as being par ticularly adapted for use in the study of the violin, it is of course to be understood that it may be equally as well used for studying playing the mandolin, guitar, banjo and in fact all stringed instruments of a similar character provided witlrfrets.

hat I claim is:

1. A device of the type described, comprising a base, a plurality of note supporting members mounted upon the base and arranged in rows corresponding to the string and fret positions of the instrument with which the device is adapted to be employed, each of said note supporting members comprising hinged leaves each carrying a single measure staff and music note thereon corresponding to the note position on the instrument, each of said note supporting mg exposed to view when the note members being foldable to two positions, the notes supported thereby being visible in one of said positions and concealed from view in the other of said ositions.

2. A device of t c class described comprising a base, note carrying devices disposed upon the base and arranged in rows corresponding to string and fret positions on the instrument to be played certain of said note carrying devices comprising a pair of superposed leaves. incans pivotally connecting said leaves to one another and to the base, means carried by the uppermost of said leaves and engaging the connecting member to limit the movement of the leaf to the elevated position. and means carried by the lower leaf and coacting with the upper leaf to limit the movement of the lower leaf to the raised position. the notes of said note supporting members hesupportmg members are elevated. and concealed by the note supporting members when the note supporting members are in the lowered po sition.

3. A device of the type (lQSCI'llXil com prising a base, a plurality of pivotally connected leaves one of which is attached to the base, a shoulder on one of the remaining leaves adapted to engage against the at tached leaf and limit its movement. and a portion on the other leaf to engage against the. shoulder bearing leaf and limit the movement of said other leaf. the two last named leaves being each provided vith a note corresponding to the note of the fret position on the instrument to be played.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aliix my signature.

FRANK E. MIELKE. 

